10 Best Things To Do in Chicago This December

Known as the Windy City, Chicago is one of the USA’s truly great cities, home to modern and historic architecture, an exciting gastronomy scene, a bustling business center, world-class universities, top-rate museums like the Field Museum and Chicago Art Institute, and endless cultural, artistic, and entertainment activities.

While it’s a great place to visit throughout the year, winter, especially December, is when the city truly shines. Chi-Town is famous for its winter weather, which produces hearty snow flurries and plunging temperatures, but the city’s many holiday events are more than enough motivation to brave the cold and get out and celebrate that holiday cheer.

The Second City might not be as iconic as NYC in December, but its swooping skyscrapers make a striking backdrop for whatever’s on your Christmastime agenda.

From marveling at festive light displays to ice skating in Millennium Park, here are the best things to do in Chicago in December 2018.

See the Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo

Photo: Lincoln Park Zoo / Todd Rosenberg

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and in Chicago, that calls for a trip to be awed and dazzled by the Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo!

The trees, central pavilion, and other structures of the Zoo are all adorned in millions of multi-colored Christmas lights that create the ultimate winter wonderland. In addition to wandering around and admiring the views, you can also watch live ice sculpting, go ice skating, take a short train ride, and even visit Santa. Also, if you’re one of the first 1,000 people to go in, you receive special glasses that change the effects of the lights.

Go Ice Skating at Millennium Park

It’s that most classic and fun of holiday outings: going outdoor ice skating at the local ice rink (and it’s even more magical if it’s snowing as well)!

Millennium Park, located in the center historic Chicago downtown and full of iconic urban art like the Bean and Crown Fountain, opens its own outdoor skating rink (McCormick Tribune Ice Rink) during December, perfect for a family outing or a romantic skate in the snow. You can bring your own gear or rent skates for $10. Plus, Chicago is renowned for its snowy, cold winters, so you’re guaranteed perfect winter-wonderland weather to skate in.

Marvel at Illumination at the Morton Arboretum

Photo via The Morton Arboretum

The tree-lined walkways of the Morton Arboretum are turned into a wonder of light and color at this outdoor illumination fest, perfect to explore on a cold winter’s night.

The magical effects are created using lanterns, Christmas lights, light installations, and projections to illuminate and change the appearance of trees and other plant life. It even incorporates special technology to make some of the light displays interactive, allowing you to do things like hug a tree to see how the lights respond and change. Holiday music is piped in as well, and at the end of the walk, warm up by a roaring fire to roast marshmallows or drink some hot cocoa.

Enjoy Family Fun at the Winter WonderFest

There’s nothing more Chicagoan at Christmas than a visit to the Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier!

Now celebrating its 18th year, visitors to this joyous festival – which is lavishly decorated in full holiday cheer – can do holiday-themed activities like ice skating at the Chicago Blackhawks skating rink, visit Santa, do an extreme polar obstacle course, climb ice walls, make their own cookies, and much more. It’s a great place to take the family to celebrate the holidays!

Take a Ride on the CTA Holiday Train

In the early 1900s, Chicago was the center of railway travel in the US, and to this day, the city is still very easy to get around and get to via rail. So to honor this legacy and get in on the holiday fun, every year the Chicago Transit Authority outfits an entire L metro train to be a moving Christmas spectacular.

The outside and inside of the cars are elaborately covered in lights, garlands, and bows, the hand poles are made to look like candy canes (but don’t lick!), and Santa rides around on an open-air flatcar to wave to passersby. And it’s not just for fun: this tradition, which started in 1992, was created to deliver food and other donations to charities throughout the city, which it still does to this day.

Discover Christmas Around the World at the MSI

This Chicago Christmas tradition started back in 1942. Now it’s grown from a display of a single tree to a massive exhibition of more than 50 Christmas trees, including a giant 4-story Grand Tree!

The various trees are decorated by volunteers to represent how different cultures and countries around the world celebrate the holidays. It’s a wonderful way to learn about Christmas traditions around the globe as well as be dazzled by a cavalcade of lovely holiday decor. On the weekends there is also entertainment like singing. This year’s exhibition opens on November 15th and runs through January 6.

Explore the Christkindlmarket

First held in 1996 and inspired by the historic Christkindlesmarkt of Nuremberg, Germany, this classic European-esque outdoor Christmas market is a beloved Chicago tradition, full of holiday cheer for everyone.

This massive event, which is the biggest outdoor Christmas market in the US, is named after the Christkind, a mythological, fairy-like creature that is the bringer of gifts to children in Germany and German-speaking countries. Here at this market named in her honor, families and shoppers can marvel at the lovely holiday lights, shop for gifts like the market’s signature annual mug and tree ornaments, eat traditional German sweets like strudel, pretzels, and currywurst (and classic US holiday treats like cookies as well), and keep an eye out for the Christkind as she wanders the market.

Held in the downtown area, it’s easy to find a great place to go especially at night when you can enjoy the lights. The Christkindlmarket is open from Nov 16 through December 24th, 2018.

Do the Santa Hustle

With all the cookies, hot cocoa, and tasty treats, everyone gains a little holiday weight around this time of year. Well, you can work it off (at least a little) by taking part in one of Chicago’s most fun Xmas traditions: the Santa Hustle!

The Santa Hustle is a 5k race held at Soldier Field, where participants dress up like Santa Claus (beard, hat, red suit, candy cane socks, the whole nine yards!) and run for fun and for charity! Christmas music is played to help runners get in the spirit, and candy and cookies are passed out for fuel. It’s a heck of a lot of fun and it’s for a good cause (proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society), so get ready because Santa Claus is running through town!

See the Highlights of Chicago in Wintry Splendor

With its many historic buildings, outdoor parks, public art installations, and more, Chicago is a great place to visit no matter the time of year, but the snowy winter weather only makes it more beautiful and striking, which, paired with all its winter-time activities, it’s the perfect winter city.

Take a snowy selfie at the Bean in Millennium Park (there are also caroling events held there during the holidays), visit the Chicago Art Institute, see the wintry Windy City from above from the Willis Tower (more commonly known as Sears Tower) Skydeck, go for a boat ride down the canals, and more.

Watch the New Year’s Fireworks from Navy Pier

To finish off a month of fantastic holiday fun in the Windy City, head to the famous Navy Pier for its epic NYE fireworks display!

The fireworks are set off from a barge located a short distance from the end of the pier, so you can either watch from along the shoreline, or attend the Resolution Gala ball, which is held on the pier itself. Another great option is to book a dinner cruise, where a boat will take you out into the harbor where you can watch the spectacle with the lit-up skyline in the background while sipping on champagne and enjoying a delicious dinner. Cheers!